


Lost At The Time

by verucasalt123



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Genie/Djinn, Dreamworld, Gen, One-Sided Attraction, Sam Saves Dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-05-21 13:43:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6053725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/verucasalt123/pseuds/verucasalt123
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For Supernatural's ReverseBang - the artist wanted DjinnCastiel who started inserting himself into Dean's dream worlds because FEELINGS.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost At The Time

**Author's Note:**

> Art by thearronaut - pinch hit for SPN's reversebang.

 

Dean didn’t ever think he’d had a better day out on the boat. A great haul, beautiful weather, then met at the marina by a dockhand with eyes a deeper blue than the cloudless sky of the day. He loved Maine, loved the sea, loved his work, loved his family. Going through the motions of preparing the day’s catch for sale, he couldn’t help but keep seeking out those blue eyes. He caught the guy looking his way a few times, and he knew the guy’d caught him once or twice, too. Without getting a chance to even introduce himself, Mr. Mysterio was gone, and Dean needed to head home and clean up before he went to meet Sam for dinner. Maybe the guy would be back the next day, Dean thought.

Somewhere in Castiel’s mind, he knew he’d been keeping this one alive too long. He was barely taking enough from the man to keep himself alive, but there was something in him that just wasn’t ready to let go yet. The djinn had never taken someone like this before - beautiful and strong and brave and loyal, and with such an incredibly shining heart and soul. Surrounded as they may have been with armor, the bright light could not be hidden from Castiel’s powers. He saw everything, all that Dean had ever wished for, every life Dean had ever dreamed of having. As much as he was also aware that Dean wanted to continue his life as a hunter, Castiel would not weave a fantasy for him that included monsters like himself. 

It was almost as if the djinn was making a fantasy universe for himself as much as he was making them for Dean. It was unusual, having feelings for someone who was just supposed to be nourishment. But Castiel couldn’t help but feel a pull toward this brave soul with the sparkling green eyes.

Unknowingly, over the course of thirty six hours, Dean had lived at least 4 or 5 lifetimes, all given to him by Castiel, one of the oldest and strongest of the djinn who'd materialized from the smokeless fire many centuries ago. 

This time there was a large, successful auto restoration shop, owned by Dean and mostly run by his brother Sam. Castiel had made himself a regular customer, frequently bringing old classic cars by the place for Dean to return to their original glory. He’d gotten closer to Dean in this life than he had in any of the others up to this point. They spent time talking, getting to know each other outside of the world of classic cars, telling each other about their lives (as far as Dean knew what this life was). They grew closer as time went by, becoming friends, Dean trying to ignore his attraction as his brother rolled his eyes and wished he’d ask this customer on a date already.

Maybe this one had been too long, though. Their camaraderie seemed to fade slowly, replaced by a growing suspicion. Dean was starting to realize that something about this reality was off; there were too many things that just didn’t make sense, or didn’t _feel_ right, for a reason he couldn’t quite place. 

xxx

Sam had enlisted Bobby Singer’s help as soon as he realized Dean had been gone longer than expected (not too unusual) and was now unreachable by phone or text (okay, maybe a little more out of the norm), and having left the Impala behind (giant flashing red warning signs). Going on pure wishful thinking, the first things they’d started to look for were monsters who might keep their prey alive for some reason. After a few false starts, they both realized that djinn fell squarely into that category, so Sam started searching for likely hiding places right away. Going in concentric circles around a map of the place where he last saw Dean, Sam finally found an abandoned industrial complex about forty miles away. There must have been at least a dozen very large empty buildings in there. Bobby agreed that it was as good a place to start as any, so the two of them took off in Dean’s car and headed in that direction. Bobby was, as usual, keeping on his mask of cool but by now, Sam was practically frantic.

xxx

Just as Castiel was about to change Dean’s fantasy life again, he started to feel the weakness. He knew he hadn’t been taking enough to keep himself going - too obsessed with inserting himself into the wish-worlds he was creating for his intended victim. He was torn - go ahead and take everything the man had left and eliminate any chance of putting himself at risk, or maybe try just one more scenario. One where Dean would be in love with him, would share that wonderful heart of his, even if it wasn’t real. Even if it wouldn’t - couldn’t - last for very long. 

He knew there were others who were expecting him, and at the same time, he realized exactly what it was that he’d been blinded to since he took Dean and became determined to insert himself into those imaginary lives he was building. 

Others were expecting Dean, too. Of course they were. How could he not have noticed that no matter what kind of scenario he placed in Dean’s dreams, not a single one hadn’t included his brother, a man Castiel had never seen before. This Sam wouldn’t have been such a constant, even in an uncontrollable un-reality, if they didn’t have a very strong bond. Castiel had definitely kept Dean for too long - his brother, a hunter just like Dean, would come looking. 

There was no doubt that Sam would find a way to rescue Dean. He might not even come alone, maybe he’d bring other hunters. And now Castiel had let himself get so physically weak by not taking enough from Dean, there was no way he’d have the strength to put up much of a fight. Especially if whoever came to Dean’s ‘rescue’ knew the weaknesses of a djinn. And of course they would. Castiel had full access to Dean’s memories, real and imagined. 

He couldn’t fool himself any longer; he couldn’t take any more chances. As much as he hated it, he was going to have to finish this human, get back some strength and quickly return to where he belonged before anyone else - 

Dean felt everything around him fall away as if he were inside a cocoon made of life and friends and family and love. The first thing he saw was Bobby’s trucker cap out of the corner of his vision, then Sam looming over a...was that a djinn? Hell yes it was, shit, and there was Sam with a silver knife dripping with what must have been lamb’s blood, ready to strike the monster who looked like it had already been injured in some way. 

The last sight Castiel’s eyes took in was Dean’s face, looking confused, then giving what seemed like an expression of pride in his brother just before the blood and the knife robbed him of all consciousness. As the last of his life force was leaving him, Castiel couldn’t say that he would have chosen anything different as his final moments alive.

Walking away supported by his friend and his brother, Dean would never know how different this had been from the djinn attacks they had seen and read about in the past.


End file.
